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What is the best bang for my buck with front flower beds that get practically no sunlight?

I am trying to dress up the front yard and we have tried growing mint in the front yard but it didn't get enough sunlight and the soil quality was poor. Now we have improved the soil quality but it is still an area that doesn't get a lot of sun due to the overhang of the house and a big tree. Any suggestions?

Hostas are one of the best plants you can have for shady areas. They can start out small, but after you have had them a couple years, you can split the plants to make even more plants. Just take a shovel and split the plant in half or thirds and then plant each part in a new area. This is also a great way to keep your plants more compact, as hostas do have a tendency to get rather large. We have done this many, many times and now we have a whole shade garden of hostas that have been started from just a few base plants! Talk about cost effective!

Good luck....And Hostas are great because they do bloom and the variety is amazing. You can find them with all dark leaves, variegated leaves that have white, lime green, etc. variegating. They come in giant leaves, miniature varieties, "normal" leaves, etc.

Head to a good local garden center for more variety than you'll typically find at Wal-Mart, Lowes or Home Depot.